Metal rake



Dec. 29, 1936. c. GREENWOOD METAL RAKE Filed Feb. 2, 1955 Patented Dec. 29, 1936 NITED STATES PATE J1 OFFIE 9 Claims.

This invention relates to rakes having resilient metal teeth and has for its objects to improve and simplify the construction of the rake; to provide a construction wherein an individual tooth, if broken or otherwise damaged, can be removed and replaced by a new tooth; to provide resilient reinforcement for the shank portion of the teeth; and to provide a construction wherein the means that clamps the teeth in position also constitutes the spacing means for the teeth.

Fig. 1 is a plan View of a rake embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the rake of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an exploded sectional view of the rake of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a sectional detail taken along line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional detail taken along line 55 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a rear view of the rake of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 is a sectional detail taken along line 1-1 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 8 is a perspective detail illustrating a double reinforcement for the shank portion of the teeth.

Fig. 9 is a perspective detail illustrating a modified arrangement for clamping and spacing the teeth.

The rake embodying the present invention comprises a plurality of resilient metal teeth Ill secured at their shank portions to a back plate structure l2. The teeth ID are or can be identical and each comprises a thin flat strip composed preferably of tempered steel that has a straight shank i3 and an approximately semi-circularly curved outer end M. The back structure l2 comprises a transverse bottom plate l6 and a transverse upper plate l8 between which the teeth are clamped. Both plates are composed of metal and the bottom plate Hi preferably is somewhat thicker than the upper plate IS. The upper plate I8 at its lateral edges is provided with a series of ears 26 having a width substantially equal to the spacing between the individual teeth, there being recesses 22 between the consecutive ears and the recesses having a width substantially equal to the width of the teeth. The plates l6 and I8 are positioned in superposed relation with the shanks of the teeth interposed therebetween and located in the recesses 22 and the ears 28 are refieXed over against the bottom face of the bottom plate l6, as is best shown in Figs. 4 and 5, and thereby clamp the teeth securely between the plates. The upper plate [8 is provided with an ear 24 at each end thereof, which ears are refiexed over and against the lower face of the bottom plate Hi to secure the end teeth in position and the plates against relative endwise displacement. The shank portions of the teeth project somewhat beyond the rear edges of the plates [6 and I8 and are provided with projections 26, see especially Figs. 3 and 6, that prevent the teeth from being drawn from between the plates if a tooth catches upon an obstruction.

Preferably the shank portions of the teeth are provided with resilient reinforcements so as to strengthen the teeth in the vicinity of their engagement with the plates l6 and Hi and thereby prevent harmful bending of the teeth. The reinforcing means comprises resilient strips 26 preferably although not necessarily formed of the material composing the teeth and having the same width and thickness as a tooth. The reinforcing strips are superimposed upon the teeth and are clamped thereagainst between the plates l6 and i8 and project forwardly of said plates, as illustrated in Figs. 1, 4 and 5, for a sufiicient distance to suitably reinforce the teeth. For some purposes it may be desirable to arrange similar reinforcing strips 30 on the under sides of the teeth, as illustrated in Fig. 8.

If a tooth l0 should happen to break it can be removed from between the plates 16 and I8 by spreading the ears 20 of the upper plate on opposite sides of the tooth away from the bottom plate sufficiently to relieve the clamping pressure on the tooth to permit the tooth to be withdrawn from between the plates and a new tooth inserted, whereupon the ears can be struck down against the bottom plate again to clamp the new tooth in position. 1

The back structure I2 is secured to a handle plate 32 which preferably is generally triangular in configuration and has a pair of ears 34 at its front edge and a single ear 36 down struck from the middle portion of the plate. The front ears 34 are positioned in interdental spaces on opposite sides of the median line of the rake and the ears are reflexed over and against reflexed ears 20 of the plate l8, whereby to clamp the handle platesecurely to the rate structure. The handle 38 has a slotted end in which the plate is received and retained by suitable means as rivets All.

As a modified construction the back structure l2 can comprise a lower plate i606 similar to the plate It and an upper plate !8a which is as wide as the lower plate but does not have the ears 26. This construction is illustrated in Fig. 9.

The plates are clamped together with the teeth between them by clamping and tooth spacing members or clips 20a which comprise metal strips that are positioned between the teeth and have their ends refiexed over and against the lower face of the .plate Ilia.

I claim:

1. A metal rake having a back structure and resilient metal teeth having straight shanks carried by and extended forwardly of said structure, said metal teeth being each separate from the others so that a single broken tooth can be removed singly from said back structure and replaced by an unbroken tooth, said structure comprising flat upper and lower plates positioned in superposed relation and between which the straight shanks of said separate teeth are clamped, one of said plates at each of its opposite long sides having a series of ears spaced longitudinally of the plate, the spaces between the ears being substantially equal to the width of the teeth and the width of the ears being substantially equal to the spacing between the teeth, the ears being located between the teeth and reflexed over and upon the face of the other plate, said eared plate also having ears at the opposite ends thereof which are reflexed over the ends of and upon the face of the other plate.

2. A metal rake having a back structure and resilient metal teeth carried by and extended forwardly of said structure, said structure comprising upper and lower plates disposed in superposed relation and between which said teeth are clamped, one of. said plates at each of its opposite long sides having a series of ears spaced longitudinally of the plate, the spaces between the ears being substantially equal to the width of the teeth and the width of the ears being substantially equal to the spacing between the teeth, the ears being located between the teeth and refiexed .over and upon the face of the other plate, said teeth being extended rearwardly beyond said back structure and having projections which engage said back structure and prevent the teeth from pulling out.

3. A metal rake having a back structure and separate resilient metal teeth having straight shanks carried by and extended forwardly of said structure, said structure comprising flat upper and lower plates disposed in superposed relation and between which the straight shanks of said teeth are clamped, one of said plates at each of its opposite long sides having a series of ears spaced longitudinally of the plate, the spaces between the ears being substantially equal to the width of. the teeth and the width of the ears being substantially equal to the spacing between the teeth, the ears beinglocated between the teeth and refiexed over and upon the face of the other plate, and separate resilient reinforcing strips upon the shank portions of said teeth for wardiy of said back structure and clamped between said plates, said reinforcing strips being approximately as wide as said teeth and lying between said ears of both series and being held thereby against lateral displacement.

4. A metal rake having a back structure and resilient metal teeth carried by and extended forwardly of said structure, said structure comprising upper and lower plates positioned in superposed relation and between which said teeth are clamped, one of said plates at its opposite long sides having a series of ears spaced longitudinally of the plate, the spaces between the ears being substantially equal to the width of the teeth and the width of. the ears being substantially equal to the spacing between the teeth, the ears being located between the teeth and refiexed over and upon the face of the other plate, and resilient reinforcing strips upon the shank portions of said teeth on opposite faces of the teeth forwardly of said back structure and clamped between said plates.

5. A metal rake comprising a tooth-supporting structure including a pair of transverse plates positioned in superposed relation, resilient fiat metal teeth having their shanks located between said plates, and tooth-spacing and clamping means located between said teeth and engaged with both plates and serving to clamp them upon said teeth, said clamping means comprising separate clips a separate one of which is disposed between each two adjacent teeth, said clips traversing one of said plates and having its ends reflcxed against the face of the other plate.

6. A metal rake comprising a tooth-supporting structure including a pair of transverse plates positioned in superposed relation, resilient flat metal teeth having their shanks located between said plates, and tooth-spacing and clamping means located between said teeth and engaged with both plates and serving toclamp them upon said teeth, said clamping means comprising ears integral with one of. said plates and refiexed upon the other plate, the shank ends of said teeth being extended rearwardly of said tooth supporting structure and the extended ends having projections which abut against said structure and constitute means preventing the detachment .of the teeth.

'7. A metal rake comprising a tooth-supporting structure including a pair of transverse plates positioned in superposed relation, resilient fiat metal teeth having their shanks located between said plates, and tooth-spacing and clamping means located between said teeth and, engaged with both plates and serving to clamp them upon said teeth, and a handle plate bearing upon one of said transverse plates and extended rearwardly thereof and having cars which clamp said transverse and handle plates together. 7

8. A metal rake comprising a tooth-supporting structure including a pair of transverse plates positioned in superposed relation, resilient flat metal teeth having their shanks located between said plates, tooth-spacing and clamping means located between said teeth and engaged with both plates and serving to clamp them upon said teeth, and a handle plate bearing upon one of said transverse plates and extended rearwardly thereof and having ears which clamp said transverse and handle plates together, certain of said plateears being located between certain teeth.

9. A metal rake comprising a tooth-supporting structure including a pair of transverse plates positioned in superposed relation, resilient fiat metal teeth having their shanks located between said plates, tooth-spacing and clamping means located between said teeth and engaged with both plates and serving to clamp them upon said teeth, and a handle plate bearing upon one of said transverse plates and having ears which are located between certain of said teeth and are clamped upon the clamping means therebetween.

CHESTER GREENWOOD. I 

